


Impressive Disaster Extras

by FinalCalligrapher



Series: Impressive [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Foster Care, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 18:30:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14836967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinalCalligrapher/pseuds/FinalCalligrapher
Summary: Bits and pieces that were taken out of the main story to maintain flow, but might still be interesting to read. By no means necessary to understand the story.





	Impressive Disaster Extras

**Author's Note:**

> A memory, and a look back at Alex before the story. Fits between Tunnel Vision, and No Rose Without a Thorn.

She hadn't even said 'hello' before the rambling began:

"Alexander is missing. I told him to be home by 4:30, and he isn't here, and it's 4:30. He's done this every night this week! He always says he's been at the library, would you believe that? What's a thirteen-year-old got to do at the library until 10:00?"

 

"Ma'am, it is only half past four. He might have been held up at school. Why don't you wait a bit, and I'll try to contact him?"

 

The tired, lackluster reply that followed had been a depressing foreshadow of Alexander's future in the system. "Alright, fine. But, if he gets hurt it's not my fault."

Looking back, Mrs.Knox felt a surge of guilt. She shouldn't have left Alexander in that placement. But at the time, it had seemed like she didn't have a choice. Alex wasn't the only child on her caseload. In fact, she'd been so busy at the time, that immediately after the call, deadlines had demanded she go back to filing papers for other cases. 

It wasn't until six that she was able to text Alex, who for his part took another hour to respond. His text message reiterated what his foster mother had said: he was at the library, but the one at Georgetown because the public library closed at five thirty, and that was far too early to be of any use.

 

For a while, Mrs.Knox had begun to wonder if Alexander hadn't run away. It wouldn't be incredibly uncommon for a child who was taken into custody for the reason he was.

But, once she'd gotten the confirmation, she headed straight to Georgetown and went to find a security officer. As luck would have it, the one she'd spoken to had seen Alexander walk in, knew exactly where he was. It wasn't every day you saw a "tiny kid with a ponytail come into the library", as he'd put it. The occurrence was apparently so uncommon that he could even pinpoint the time he'd come in: between 3:30 and 4:15, which confirmed that the young boy had really been there all afternoon.

 

Once she had been escorted to the appropriate section of the library, Mrs.Knox hadn't had the slightest bit of trouble locating Alex. He was stooped over the table, scribbling something in a notebook. A little ponytail jutted out the back of his head, just behind a pair of headphones that didn't quite fit, and had the effect of making him seem smaller, even than he was. 

When she'd approached him, and tapped his shoulder to get his attention, he had jumped, causing the headphones to slip off of his head, and fall onto the desk. The clatter wasn't loud, but it certainly earned a few looks from students in the area. Alexander had recovered his headphones quickly, placing them around his neck, as he squinted at the woman before him. She was familiar, and then it struck him.

"Mrs.Knox? What are you doing here". 

 

Just to make sure that he didn't consider saying anything else, one of the nearby students drew a long, "shhhhhhhhhhh". 

She threw an apologetic look in the direction of the shusher, then turned her gaze back to Alexander. She tapped her watch and pointed to the door.

 

He sighed, "Seriously?"

 

"If you don't shut up I'm going to report you to the librarian" the boy sitting adjacent to Alex had issued the threat with nothing more than mild annoyance, but to that day, Mrs.Knox still had not seen Alex get his things faster. They were out in a minute flat.

 

The speedy retreat had immediately halted in the hallway. "What are you doing here? I told you I was busy." The word busy hung in the air with heavy annoyance. 

"I said I was doing something important."

 

Mrs.Knox recalled having been a little caught off guard by just how miffed Alex had been. There was no regret, no remorse, no fear of retribution for having broken a rule. He was just ticked off that she'd interrupted his library session.

 

"You were supposed to be back home by four thirty. They think you're missing Alex."

 

He'd provided the most quintessential 'I'm thirteen years old' eye roll that there had ever been. "I told them where I was going to be. Why should I go back there? I have more important things to do than sit around their house."

 

It was odd because she would have expected that question to be rhetorical, but his tone and his posture both indicated that a reason was desired. 

"Well, they need to know you're safe-"

"What's so dangerous about the library?"

"They have to know where you are in case-"

"I told her when I got here"

 

This went on for a while, and then she'd grown fed up, and told him the grown-ups knew what he needed and had his best interests at heart.

Alexander had laughed shortly: "If they would rather I sit in their house and watch their son play video games, than stay here and write my essay, I don't think you'll be able to effectively argue that my best interests are being considered"

  
  
  


And, Alexander had been correct. He was just a kid who wanted to focus on academics, and there wasn't a real reason in the world to deny him that ability. As he grew older, it only seemed more of a tragedy that he had yet to find a family willing to let him be as he was, and in proportion, it only became more difficult to argue the small things.

 

Really, Alexander was still the tiny thirteen-year-old who'd started a full debate in the hallway of the Georgetown University library. So she'd felt guilty leaving him with King. Their personalities didn't line up. But, at the end of the day, it had been the only option. And her caseload certainly hadn't shrunk over those two years, so she had other things to worry over. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I didn't publish a real chapter this week, I was busy packing for a trip, and didn't want to rush it, so I decided to edit this, and publish it as a peace offering. It's also posted very early in the day, because I don't think I'll have time tonight.
> 
> I cut it out of Tunnel Vision, because it just wasn't needed in context, and made the chapter more awkward to read. However, some of you still might want to read it. I'm planning to add cut out bits to this story throughout, and not just when I don't get a real chapter done. 
> 
> These are by no means needed to read and understand the main story.


End file.
